1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for automatically diluting concentrated replenishers and a liquid level control apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for automatically diluting concentrated replenishers to prepare replenishers having desired concentrations, and a liquid level control apparatus for controlling the liquid levels of the replenishers and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of photosensitive material processing apparatuses have already been proposed, which dilute concentrated replenishing solutions or replenishers in replenisher tanks to prepare replenishers, which are supplied to processing tanks (e.g., Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 10-115903). The concentrated replenisher is bottled or the like at a manufacturing plant, and the quantity thereof is accurately controlled. In order to prepare a proper replenisher by diluting the concentrated replenisher, it is necessary to accurately control the quantity of a diluting solution in the photosensitive material processing apparatus.
Accordingly, the conventional apparatus precisely feedback-controls the quantity of the diluting solution for diluting the concentrated replenisher. The feedback control, however, is complicated and increases the cost of the system.
In a system that supplies a variety of concentrated replenishers at the same time by means of a processing agent kit having a plurality of cartridges or bottles filled with the concentrated replenishers (e.g., a concentrated developing solution and a concentrated fixing solution) required for the photosensitive material processing apparatus; it is necessary to use up the replenishers at the same time. It is difficult to control the photosensitive material processing apparatus in such a way as to use up the replenishers at the same time.
If the replenishers are not used up at the same time, when one of the bottles in the processing agent kit becomes empty, the processing agent kit still holding the replenishers in the other bottles can be thrown away. This, however, is undesirable in order to reduce industrial wastes.